Archive for June, 2010

First, today’s Arab-American Heritage Day at City Hall. Sponsored by the NYC Council Speaker Hon. Christine Quinn et al, it marks “a celebration of the rich heritage of the Arab Community and the contributions of community members to this great city.” Honorees include Sarab Al-Jijakli, co-founder of NAAP-NY, with which I recently launched a networking group for folks who work in education. (If you’d be interested in joining this group, please let me know!)

Also, what does baba ghanoush have to do with bags and shoes? Nothing, but I just had to give a plug to Karam’s Middle East Bakery & Restaurant and their version of this delicious dip! On a recent weekend Upstate with loved ones, I finally got to sample some yummy treats from this place I’d heard about for months and it was well worth the wait 😉 Oh, and the pita bread we scooped it all up with? To die fo-ah! In addition to their Web site, Karam’s also has a Facebook page 😉

Now, moving on to “les accessoires,” did you know that the world’s oldest known leather shoe is in Armenia? As mentioned in a previous post, a good number of Armenians are in the jewlery biz–and the same goes for shoes, so this discovery makes perfect sense!

And finally, it’s “in the bag” with designer Dareen Hakim. There will be a trunk show event showcasing her handbags at Henri Bendel (712 5th Avenue @ 56th Street, 2nd Floor) this weekend: Friday – Sunday, June 25-27, from 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 12:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Sunday. Check it out!

Noor Theatre, part of its mission being “dedicated to supporting, developing and presenting the work of theatre artists of Middle Eastern descent,” recently launched in NYC–here’s a link to their Web site to learn more: www.noortheatre.org

And in other “Theatre” news, there will be a benefit dinner for Hybrid Theatre Works on Friday, June 11 at Byblos Restaurant. Click on this link (http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/114632) to buy tickets. According to the organization, “Proceeds will benefit the 2010 Hybrid Theatre Works summer workshops for youth and refugee populations in Amman, Jordan and Cairo, Egypt. Hybrid Theatre Works takes peace and diplomacy beyond recognizing and respecting other cultures to direct engagement with the community to teach, through theatre and cultural diplomacy, important life skills such as confidence, communication, tolerance, proactive thinking, collaboration and team building.”

Given these theatres’ admirable missions, let’s show our support for the arts by checking ‘em out and, if you do, feel free to share your thoughts here!